I am so glad I told my best friend that I wanted to tag along on her solo trip to Utah a few weeks ago! Amy and I have been besties since we were cheerleaders together in middle school. We go way back and have traveled together for decades. Of course, kids, careers, etc. have slowed that down a lot over the past few years, but we have no problem picking back up right where we left off!
So, I posted a photo taken last fall on FaceBook, just reminiscing about traveling. Amy commented on it, and a little exchange took place where she told me she had just booked a solo trip to Utah. I had just had to cancel my family’s trip to Boston because we all had Covid and had missed too many days of work and games. My boys are loving fall baseball and football! I was half serious, half joking, when I commented back, “Take me with you!” And the rest is history. I didn’t even really know where she was going or what she was planning to do, but Utah is one of my favorite states to visit!! And I knew we’d have a great time together anywhere.
Amy had booked an amazing hotel in Snowbird, Utah called The Cliff Lodge. Check it out, this place is stunning. She also rented a red mustang convertible for the long weekend, so all I had to do was book my flights to and from Salt Lake City. And as luck would have it, both flights had the seat next to hers available! Which we totally took as a sign that I was meant to be there with her. We are both teachers, so we left on a Friday evening after school and took full advantage of our Monday holiday and flew back home that evening. It was the perfect amount of time to spend in the mountains!
What we didn’t plan for was the weather! Well, we did, but it all changed right before we left. I always look ahead at long range forecasts and for a week or so, it was looking like the perfect fall weekend. Temps were supposed to be in the 60s and sunny the whole time. A day before we left, the forecast had a major change which included rain, snow, and cold/cloudy conditions. Our packing took a 180 and sweaters, coats, and gloves now filled our suitcases. We were kind of bummed about the rain, but we decided we’d spend the rainy day at the hotel spa! We booked a yoga class and massages. Well, it ended up not raining at all. Instead, we got the first snow of the season. It snowed all day and all night, which we loved!
The view from the room!
We woke up Sat morning to a dusting of snow, which amplified the gorgeous fall colors. We ordered room service for breakfast and then left for yoga. We watched the snow pick up while we exercised and then headed up to the roof top hot tub at the spa. Then we had massages and enjoyed the eucalyptus steam room. The snow began slowing down, so we decided to go enjoy a hike in the mountains! Oh my gosh, the trail was beautiful and we loved every minute of it. We searched for nearby trails near us using the AllTrails app. We picked Gloria Falls because it was only a few minutes from our hotel and the trail is rated easy and only about 2.2 miles out and back. The fall colors were everything these Texas girls were hoping to find here!
It seemed like the snow was over for the day, but little did we know, it ended up snowing overnight. On Sunday, we woke up to a winter wonderland! We wanted to do a sunrise hike to the top of a mountain, so we were up and ready to head out by 6:30 am. We chose the hike to Cecret Lake because it was marked as easy on the AllTrails App. However, due to the snow we got overnight, the road leading up to the trail was closed, so we had to start the hike in the parking lot at the bottom of the mountain. This added about 1.5 miles to our hike and what was supposed to be easy, ended up being quite strenuous. I mean, we basically walked up the side of a mountain in a foot of snow! But the views were totally worth every once of pain! I kept saying, “It feels like I’m in a snow globe!”
After we finished this hike, we decided to go back to the hotel to rest and warm up. We ordered room service for lunch and binged a couple of true crime shows on tv. Then we decided to drive the mustang through the mountains with the top down! We had a blast singing to songs on the radio and talking about life. We also enjoyed the short loop around Silver Lake.
We found a nice Mexican food restaurant in Sandy, UT on the way back to the hotel called, La Fountain Mexican Restaurant. It was really delicious! Then we ventured back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the evening. We binged some more true crime shows in face masks and had a relaxing evening in.
On Monday, we had a 6:00 pm flight back to Dallas, so we decided to spend the day in Salt Lake City before our journey home. We had some Italian food at Brio Italian Grille and then ventured out to a nearby souvenir shop. The weather was getting chilly, windy, and rainy so we decided to head to the airport a little earlier than needed. We wanted to visit Temple Square and see the Tabernacle, but the conditions outside just weren’t favorable for that. Maybe next time!
Overall, we had the best time in Utah! Snowbird is one of my new favorite places to visit! I honestly believe that this destination is perfect for a girls trip, family trip, or even a romantic get away!
Let me know if you need any help making plans and be sure to follow me on Instagram at road_trip_queen.
My husband and I were very fortunate to get to plan a getaway for late last summer. We’ve been traveling together since we were 19 years old and have visited several amazing locations. It took us quite a while to decide on a new place we’ve never visited and we finally settled on South Lake Tahoe. Let me just tell you, if you’ve never been but want to go, make it happen! We had such a wonderful, romantic trip together!
Secret Cove Beach
If you follow the blog, you know that most of our travels are with our boys. Jereme and I dated for 6 years before we got married; and then were married for 6 years before we had kids. We had 12 kid-free years together and we spent a lot of that time traveling alone together or with our friends. In those travels, we just knew that we wanted to take our future kiddos everywhere and show them the world! Since having our boys, we’ve only traveled alone together a handful of times, but man is it fun to get away for a few days and not be Mom and Dad all day, every day!
Like I mentioned earlier, Jereme and I have been to several places and kind of had a hard time deciding on where to go. I think I searched “romantic getaways” and Lake Tahoe popped up. I honestly didn’t know much about this destination, so my research began. And honestly, Lake Tahoe is a huge place and I really struggled deciding on staying in North or South Lake Tahoe. So, I am hoping my blog post helps you when planning your trip!
I finally decided on South Lake Tahoe because I found more information on food and lodging there while I was making our plans. We were very happy with this decision, although we never got a chance to travel to North Lake Tahoe to compare. I booked a quaint hotel right on the State Line, but in California. We stayed at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel and had a lovely room. I loved the space, we had a bedroom, living room, and decent size bathroom! This hotel is in a fabulous location. You can take a right and walk on the Nevada side for gambling or Vegas style shows. You can go left to find several different restaurants, shops, and even the Heavenly Ski Resort is in a walkable distance. The only downside to this hotel was that there wasn’t an outdoor pool. I would have preferred one outside because we visited in August and the weather was beautiful but very warm. We rented a car and drove in from Reno, NV. I enjoyed having a car for some of the hikes we did, but if you plan to stay around the hotel you would not need one.
Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel
We only had two full days in Tahoe, so we took full advantage of those days. The hotel provided a free breakfast, so we got up early for that and then headed out to explore. I used the AllTrails app to find scenic hikes near us. We visited Secret Cove Beach first. Be sure to wear a swimsuit and get to the parking lot early, like before 9 am. We got there by 8:30 and had no issues finding a front row parking spot. But when we left we noticed hundreds of cars along the main road and I cannot imagine having to walk that far from my car to begin the hike!
Secret Cove Beach was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited. The hike is not very long, roughly a mile from the parking lot. There are not a lot of signs marking the trail, but we still had no trouble finding the secret cove. It is a clothing optional beach, I would never go nude, but didn’t mind if others did. However, we didn’t see anyone else without swimsuits on. We were there pretty early and it felt like we had the entire cove to ourselves. We explored the trails above the cove and just took in the sights, then hiked down to the beach and relaxed on the shore and took a few swims. Once more people started arriving, we left to do a little more hiking and then headed back to town for lunch. We picked a restaurant at the Heavenly Ski Resort, called Gunbarrel Tavern and Eatery, and we sat outside enjoying the weather, adult beverages, and the people. That night, we walked around and did some souvenir shopping for our boys. We ate at Maya’s Mexican Grill, it was great! If you are coming in the summer, be prepared for extremely long dinner wait times. Some were as long as 2 hours. And make reservations early if you want to do a dinner cruise, there were none available when we got there for any of the days that we were visiting.
Secret Cove Beach That water though!
The following day, we decided to drive to Emerald Bay State Park. The views were stunning on the drive and even better on our hike! The walk from the parking lot is all downhill, which makes the walk back to the car quite strenuous, but totally worth it. We hiked down to the lake and were some of the first people in line for kayak rentals. These rentals are available right on the beach and I believe they open at 10 am. We got there around 9:15 am, so we waited about 45 minutes for a rental. There are several rentals available, like single or double kayaks and paddle boards. We went with a double kayak and had the best time kayaking out to the island and hiking to the ruins on top. There were so many people boating and snorkeling and enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.
Emerald Bay
Once we turned in our kayak, we hiked to Eagle Falls and then headed to a yummy Mexican food restaurant that we passed on our drive to the park called Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant (no website). That night we ate at Base Camp Pizza Co. at the Heavenly Ski Resort. I had the most amazing pasta dish! It was probably my favorite dinner of the trip.
The hiking trail The hiking was spectacular!
And just like that, our 3 night/4 day trip quickly came to an end. Jereme and I had the best time and we cannot recommend this destination enough! It’s hard to believe a place like this even exists. One tip I want to share is to travel in June or early July. We got extremely lucky visiting in early August because a forest fire began shortly before our trip and made the area extremely hazy after we returned home and I believe there were many mandatory evacuations afterwards, too.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions! Be sure to follow me on Instagram at road_trip_queen!
Philadelphia has become one of my favorite cities in the US and I cannot wait to visit again with my hubby! We stayed in Philly for 3 nights during our Delaware to New York road trip and I must say, this was the perfect amount time and probably the most exciting stop on our adventure.
Day 1 in Philadelphia
Independence Hall – our country’s birthplace!
First, I must mention that we had to stay outside of the city, there were literally zero hotels available for 6 people when we booked this trip months ago. But, we actually liked where we stayed, at the Home2 Suites Ridley Park, and it was only about a 20 minute drive into Philly each day. The only bummer was that the pool was closed for construction, so the kids were sad. I was really nervous and not sure what to expect when it came to driving into the city and finding parking, but it was actually very easy! We always took exit 22 and turned left on Fourth Street and drove until we saw The Bourse Building. Right past that is a large parking garage, and we found ourselves parking there each day and eating at The Bourse food court, too. And to make it even better, the parking was right by Independence National Historic Park, which is where you want to be if you want to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell! Parking is about $25 per day, maybe there are cheaper options, but it was very convenient and easy for me being there without Jereme.
On our first day in Philadelphia we chose to do a double decker bus tour with Double Decker Bus Tours of Philadelphia. These buses left right outside of the Bourse Building, too! I really wanted to check out the city and add sites to our list of places we wanted to explore more of later on. The bus tour was great and we had a front row seat on the top deck! I really enjoyed the bus tour, we found a fun fountain along the route and kids were swimming and playing in it, so I knew the boys would love it since the pool was closed at the hotel.
Ready to start the bus tour!
We also spotted Ben Franklin’s burial site, so we headed straight there to see that once the bus tour was over. If you follow along on our travels, you probably know that I love all the creepy things, like historical ghost tours and visiting famous people’s graves. My family is weird, I know! But, we got to see Ben’s grave and some others that helped write the Declaration of Independence! It was $9 for the kids and I to go in, but if you don’t want to pay, you can view the burial site from the fence. Everything is marked for you to easily find it.
And to end our night in Philly, we decided to go on a Ghost Tour of haunted historical places! We used Philadelphia Ghost Tours and had a wonderfully creepy experience and our guide was hands down the best I have ever had on a ghost tour. I even have a really cool photo of a ghost in a hat from a window – for real, check it out below!!!
Do you see the ghost?!
Day 2 in Philadelphia
This day was one of my all-time favorite days on a vacation! We decided to go to the Betsy Ross House and then to one of the museums after we were done there. Sadly, this was on a Monday and the museums are only open on Thursdays-Sundays. So, please keep that in mind if you are planning a trip to Philadelphia in the near future. Anyway, we decided that we would make the very best of the day and we ended up having the most amazing time! We parked in the same parking garage and decided to pop on over to see the Liberty Bell before making our way to the Betsy Ross House. They only let about 17 people in at a time to see basically all the things in Philadelphia (due to Covid), so we did have to wait outside in a line for about 20 minutes or so BUT you do not need tickets to see the bell. While we were waiting in line, Independence Hall was having a Veteran’s ceremony, so we were able to watch a band play (it was similar to a colonial style band) and there were military vehicles everywhere blocking the road in front of Independence Hall. Once inside the Liberty Bell, we took turns admiring the bell and taking photos of the new friends we made in line!
From here we walked over to The Betsy Ross House. I used the GPS on my phone and there are also several signs pointing you to the famous historic sites in the city, so again, maneuvering around town by car and by foot was surprisingly easy! I had no clue that we would enjoy the Betsy Ross House so much! Maybe it was because we accidentally decided to go on Flag Day of all days, but regardless, it was a wonderful, interactive experience for all of us. We started with a self-guided tour of the house. The sewing room reminded all of us of our Granny who is 89 and still sews to this day! Once we exited the house, employees were there passing out bags of M&Ms to the kids, which they loved. Then, we happened to see a man dressed in time-period clothing, so we chatted with him and learned that he was playing the part of Henry Box Brown, a slave that mailed himself to freedom from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Jett was so excited because he had read a book about him in school! There was also a lady playing the part of Betsy Ross, so we headed her way and sat down to enjoy her show. Well, this was the best part! It was completely interactive for the kids and they helped her on stage, all while learning about how she became the person to make our first flag and all of the other designs that were brainstormed before the first American flag came to be! It was so much fun and the lady that played the part was the sweetest and so good with kids! George Washington also made a brief visit haha!
Once we left the Betsy Ross House, we walked over to Elfreth’s Alley, which is the oldest residential street in Philadelphia. It was gorgeous, but nothing was open on Monday. Still, just walking along and taking it all on was fun. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area.
Finally, we were all hot and tired from exploring, so we went back to the car and drove over to the fountain that we had seen on the bus tour. We didn’t bring swimsuits, but because I’m so cool, I let the kids play in the fountain as long as their little hearts desired! Once they were completely worn out, we went back to the hotel, I did some laundry because 10 day road trip hello lol, and I think we ran over to the Cracker Barrel next door for dinner! It was a really great day of learning and exploring.
Last Day in Philadelphia
Today was an exciting day, especially for me and my history loving heart! Y’all, we got to see the birthplace of America and where the Declaration of Independence was signed! You can visit these sites at Independence Hall. We did not pre-purchase timed entry tickets (there were none available), so we woke up early and headed to Philly. We got to Independence Hall around 8:15 a.m. and park rangers begin handing out FREE tickets around 8:30 a.m. You can purchase the timed entry tickets here for $1.00. We were able to begin our self-guided tour of Independence Hall around 10 a.m., so we grabbed a quick breakfast first and then came back and began our tour. You are able to enter into two rooms on the bottom level and here you listen to park rangers explain the importance of the two rooms. The second room you enter is where the Declaration was signed! It was truly amazing. I mean, the chair that George Washington sat in is still there! Squeeee!! Once you leave Independence Hall, you go next door to Congress Hall to see where the first two presidential inaugurations occurred! Remember, at the time Washington DC was not finished being built. It all just smelled like the 1700s and I am not going to lie, I got a little emotional here. It’s still crazy to believe that I got to stand in buildings where our Founding Fathers worked and created our government.
Once we left there, we grabbed a quick lunch and then headed down the street to the Portrait Gallery. This is as place filled with historical paintings, but it turned out to be so much more for us! We ran into our favorite park ranger, Jane, and she remembered us from our morning tour of Independence Hall. She ended up taking us on a behind the scene tour of the gallery and enthralled us all with her historical knowledge and amazing tales of things she’s seen that are not available to the public! I learned so, so much and consider our time with her so valuable. Be sure to check out the gallery if you are in the area and talk to the park rangers! They are there to answer questions and you might just make a new friend. I didn’t take any photos inside the gallery, I was too engaged, but I wish I would’ve gotten a picture with Jane. She was so precious and I will never forget our time spent with her.
After the portrait gallery we decided to head over to the Ben Franklin Bridge! We drove across it into New Jersey, found a great parking spot, and then walked back to Pennsylvania on the walking trail on the bridge. It’s not a long walk and it makes for a fun story and a great place for photos! This is how we ended our time in Philadelphia before heading to NYC.
We really had such a fun time exploring the city and we learned so much. If you love historical places, this is definitely a city you need to visit!
We just returned home from one of the most beautiful places on earth, Colorado! Usually we visit this state in the winter for our annual snowboarding trip over the New Year, but this summer we decided to change up our plans and take our boys for a summer visit. I am so glad that we made this decision!
With that being said, since we changed up our original plans a little last minute, I felt completely overwhelmed planning this vacation and I hope that this post helps you with your plans. I had absolutely no reason to be overwhelmed, Rocky Mountain National Park is so easy to maneuver and everything is gorgeous.
I started by checking out the Rocky Mountain National Park website. Always check out the NPS websites, they include valuable information and webcams, etc. This summer you have to have a timed-entry ticket to enter the Park and there are two separate areas of the Park. Kind of confusing right, especially for first-timers! So, hopefully I can break this down for you in an easier way. Timed-entry tickets are available on the first of the month for the following month, so I got our tickets on June 1st for July. They are $2 for each day that you want to enter, plus you have to pay the park entrance fee once at the gate & I believe this is $35 for the week. If you have a 4th grader, they can get the 4th grade pass for FREE and your entire vehicle can enter the park! Click here for your 4th grade Every Kid Outdoor Pass. The Park only releases a certain amount of tickets each day and hold a couple hundred that go live at 5:00 pm for the following day. So, for example, if I wanted tickets for July 15th I could go online (on the Park’s website) on July 14th at 5:00 pm and TRY to get tickets for the following day. But these tickets go fast, so you need to be online and logged in to your account for a quick purchase.
There are a couple of different entrances to get into the Park, we always used the Beaver Meadows entrance coming in from Estes Park. You will need timed-entry tickets for this entrance (and all entrances) unless you arrive before 9:00 am or after 3:00 pm. When you enter here, you can drive along Trail Ridge Road from one end of the park to another, roughly 45 miles I believe. The views are stunning and there are several different areas to pull over and park to check out views or hike trails. You can get a Park map at the entrance and everything is nicely marked off with signs. I highly recommend driving this road at least once on your visit! We found so many neat places to stop for photos and some really great trails with short hikes! Make sure you have a full tank of gas if you plan to drive this road!
Photo from Trail Ridge Road
Once inside the Park there is another entrance area that requires timed-entry tickets unless you arrive before 5:00 am or after 6:00 pm and this is the Bear Lake Corridor. In my opinion, this is the most popular and beautiful area of the park, so be sure to get tickets for this area! Several of our “bigger hikes” were from this corridor. Once inside this area, there are places to park and hop on a bus to go to the Bear Lake parking/trails, but we were able to easily find parking at the Bear Lake parking lot. I was only able to grab tickets for 2 days in the Park, both times in the afternoon, and we still had the BEST visit!
Before I list out our itinerary for the week, here are some helpful tips/things you should make sure to bring with you!
Timed-entry tickets (printed or on your phone – make sure to screenshot because service is limited)
Dress in layers, it gets cold when rain moves in and out
Raincoats – thunderstorms pop up almost every afternoon, be prepared!
Water and snacks
Sunscreen / hat
Camera (my photos are from my iPhone)
First aid kit with Band-Aids
Binoculars
Hiking boots / shoes
AllTrails App
Bring a backpack, you must pack out whatever you bring with you, so have something that holds trash
Our Itinerary for the Week
Now, for all of the details and the fun stuff! Since I booked this trip last minute, we were not able to stay very close to the Park like I had wished. I REALLY wanted to stay at the Stanley Hotel (where the Shining was filmed) in Estes Park, but there were no rooms available for our dates. So, we opted to stay in Boulder, CO and we really enjoyed that area. It took about an hour to drive from Boulder to RMNP, so that is the only downside if you don’t like being in the car a lot.
Day 1: We decided to explore the Boulder area on our first full day in Colorado. I used the AllTrails app to find a few hikes close to us and the boys wanted to visit Forsyth Canyon since it was a hike to a waterfall! The app literally gave us directions to the exact parking lot for the trailhead, so I can’t recommend this app enough! This hike was rated as an easy, 3.2 mile out and back hike, and the scenery was excellent! We did in fact hike all the way to the top of a waterfall and opted to walk back after that instead of hiking around and down boulders to the falls, only because we had our border collie with us and she was tired.
Above the waterfall
We also ventured into town and walked around Boulder Creek, which runs through town. The water was cold and flowing fast, but the kids had fun playing in and around the river. You can also get tubes to ride down the river, Jereme and I did this about 17 years ago! We knew the ride was a little crazy, so we didn’t let the boys do it this time!
Boulder Creek
Day 2: Our second day was our first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park! I had timed-entry tickets to the Bear Lake Corridor for 4:00 pm. We slept in and then headed to Estes Park. It took us an hour to drive, so we got there around 1:00 pm. I had a couple of hikes saved on the app again around Estes Park that were not in RMNP, so we decided to walk around Lake Estes before lunch. The views were stunning! Once our walk was over, we headed into town and had burgers and did some shopping. During this time, around 2:30 pm or so, a thunderstorm moved in, so we ran to the car and drove around the town. We saw so many elk out and about, it was really exciting and luckily the rain moved out fast!
Walk around Lake Estes Elk in town!
We headed to the Park right before 4:00 pm, and didn’t wait in line for more than 5 minutes to enter. We drove right to the Bear Lake parking lot, used the restrooms at the trailhead, and began the hike to Emerald Lake, which is rated as a moderate 3.2 mile out and back hike. It was AMAZING!!!! This one is probably my favorite hike ever. We followed the signs along the trail and passed by two other lakes, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake, before getting to Emerald Lake. Our boys, ages 10 and 7, did great on this one. Check out these views!
Nymph Lake Dream Lake Emerald Lake
Day 3: I was not able to get tickets into RMNP for this day, see I told you they go fast! So, I found a hike near Boulder in a small town named Ward. Even though it was only about 25 miles from our hotel, the drive took about an hour through the mountains. We went to Brainard Lake Recreation Area to hike Isabelle Glacier. This area also requires timed-entry tickets and it costs $12 for those reservations. We had reservations for 2:00 pm for the Long Lake area, which is where the Isabelle Glacier trail begins. If you want to do this hike, make sure your tickets are for the Long Lake area, you will get a ticket if you park in the wrong parking lot (per the park ranger at the entrance). This hike is rated as a moderate 5.5 mile hike on the AllTrails app, but the sign at the trailhead only had it as 2 miles from the start of the trailhead. We absolutely loved this hike and it was quiet the adventure. When we got about 1.8 miles into the hike, a thunderstorm popped up and we put on our raincoats and hunkered down and waited out the storm. We had gone way too far to just turn around and head back! I am sure the views would have been so much better on a clear, sunny day, but we still thought the entire hike was breathtaking and really enjoyed this one!
This was along the trail to Isabelle Glacier Waiting out the thunderstorm! The end of the trail to Isabelle Glacier
Day 4: This day was my boys’ most favorite day! We rafted the Poudre River (near Ft. Collins) with A Wanderlust Adventure. We chose the Taste of Whitewater for beginner/immediate levels and we spent about 2 hours on the water. It was definitely and adrenalin rush and something that I am so, so happy we experienced! I mean, just check out the excitement from our photos! The price is $70 per person and they offer a full photo package for $55, which included about 50 photos and a video!
Day 5: This was our last day at Rocky Mountain National Park and we had tickets to enter Bear Lake at 2:00 pm. We decided to get up early and head to RMNP by 8:00 am so that we could enter without timed-entry tickets. We drove all of Trail Ridge Road on this day before we were able to enter the Bear Lake Corridor. The views were amazing, we pulled over at several different places, visited the Continental Divide, and did two short hikes between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm. We packed a picnic lunch and ate on one of our hikes, too.
Pull-off along Trail Ridge Road This hike was right off the parking lot from the Continental Divide! This is the Colorado River Trail Hike off of Trail Ridge Road You will see animals everywhere in the Park!
At 2:00 we headed to Bear Lake and hiked to Alberta Falls. It was beautiful, a little crowded, but beautiful nonetheless. We loved just sitting and watching the waterfall before heading back. AllTrails has this hike rated as an easy 1.6 out and back hike. It was pretty easy, but the end of the hike is all uphill right before getting back to the parking lot and we saw a lot of people stopped for a rest in this area.
Along the trail to Alberta Falls Alberta Falls! The boys loved this trail!
From here, we decided to drive over to Sprague Lake (you will see the signs) because I really wanted to see a moose and my research kept pointing me in this direction. Sprague Lake is a super easy loop around a small lake and only about 0.8 miles total. We arrived around 5:00 pm and within about 25 minutes we got to see a mama moose with her baby walk through the water and find a place to stop and munch on grass! It was truly amazing and we probably watched these moose for almost an hour before they left the area! Please remember that with moose and bear, you should keep your distance! The park ranger told us that’s about 3 bus links away. We stayed with the park ranger and I just zoomed in on my photos. My day was totally made and we were all so excited to see these animals in their natural habitat!
This is the trail around Sprague Lake Mama and baby moose!!! Views around the lake
Day 6: This was supposed to be our drive home, but we just loved our summer visit so much that we decided to extend our trip and head to Crested Butte for a few days! It’s about a 4.5 hour scenic drive from Boulder! It was also truly amazing and I will blog about it soon! In the meantime, check out my favorite photos from CB below.
Mount Crested Butte Views from Judd Falls trail Slate River
Please feel free to message me with any questions if you are planning a trip to RMNP or Boulder! I am always happy to help and offer my advice and tips. We definitely did not see it all and I look forward to another visit, but I hope this information helps other first-timers or hikers with kids! Stay safe out there and Happy Travels!
Have you ever thought about taking your kids to New York City for vacation? Mine have been asking to go since watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York years ago. I can honestly say that I wasn’t really sure about taking kids to the city, so my husband suggested we visit Washington DC first to see how they did in a smaller city and how they would handle all the walking and public transportation. I agreed, so we went a few years ago and they did so well considering their ages. (Click here to see our DC trip.) So, when an idea for a summer trip to the northeast popped into my head, I knew the time was right to add NYC to the list!
My boys and me at Top of the Rock
I feel like I need to mention that we got a very mild, tame version of the city, I am sure due to the pandemic. It was really a fun time and I can’t even explain how easy it was to maneuver around with less crowds, which was awesome considering it was just Carrie and I with the kids, the hubbies stayed home to work on this trip. We had a few ideas of things we wanted to show the kids, here is that list (I did not include things that we wanted to do that were closed, like Broadway, etc.):
Statue of Liberty
Central Park
Empire State Building
Times Square
9/11 Memorial
Museums
Here is how we packed all of these activities into 3 days!
Day 1: Arrival & Times Square
If you follow along on our adventures, you might already know that we drove into the city from New Jersey and dropped off our rental car back at LaGuardia Airport. That was an adventure in itself and I do not recommend driving in this city ha! However, after a tense couple of hours, we made it to the rental car place and I had never been so happy to return a car in my life! We had no issues ubering to our hotel, Hyatt Place New York Midtown/South from LGA. It was in a great location for us – The Empire State Building was outside of our window and it was only a few blocks to Times Square and Penn Station! By the time we made it back to the hotel, it was already mid-afternoon and I was tired from the stress of driving. We also had done some sightseeing earlier in New Jersey before heading into the city. So, the first day was pretty low-key and we spent most of the afternoon and evening close to the hotel.
The view of the Empire State Building from our hotel!
On our first evening in New York, we decided to walk down to Times Square and show the kids this area after checking in to the hotel and unloading all of our luggage. It was crazy because it felt like we had the city to ourselves! The kids loved the lights and sounds and I was happy that it wasn’t so crowded. We grabbed a quick dinner close to our hotel and just took in the sights. After we had our fill, we called it a night to get some rest for the busy day ahead.
Times Square!
Day 2: Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial
Today was the day to visit The Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial. We started off the day at the Statue of Liberty. We took the ferry, it was a very quick and easy check in process, but you do have to go through airport style screening before you are allowed to get on the ferry. Click here to pre-purchase tickets. We rode on the top deck to get the best view of the statue! While we were really sad that the museum was closed and that you can’t climb the stairs into the crown, we were thrilled to get to see Lady Liberty up close! And we were able to grab lunch at the Crown Café right on site while we were there. The kids thought that it would be bigger, so they were surprised with the size. This was a fun excursion and a must see if you’re visiting NYC!
This is the ferry we took to Liberty Island
Be sure to take a photo on the boat, it’s a better angle!
Since the ferry left from Battery Park, we decided to walk on over to the 9/11 Memorial while we were in the area. I think this was an emotional visit for all of us, the kids had a lot of questions and we answered them honestly. It was hard to think about that day and not get emotional. The kids really wanted to see the museum, but we felt like they were still a little too young for this one. Carrie and I both visited the museum together a few years ago, so we knew what was inside. I will definitely be taking them back when they are older, we must never forget that day or the victims. The memorial is very beautiful.
We rode the subway back to the hotel and just spent the rest of the day being typical tourists. We ventured by Radio City Music Hall, ate dinner in Times Square, danced with a street performer and just had a really good night together!
The boys first subway ride!
Day 3: Museum of Natural History, Central Park, & Top of the Rock
This was our last full day on the trip! We knew we wanted to visit a museum, so we picked the American Museum of Natural History because I really wanted to see the dinosaur fossils! We had a great time exploring the museum, there are several really cool exhibits, besides just dinosaurs. However, our time was cut shorter than I would like because our kids were starving and the food court in the museum has not yet re-opened. So, we left the museum after a few hours and grabbed a quick lunch at one of the food trucks parked right outside of the museum entrance. We did see lots of animals, an ocean exhibit, early life on earth – think cave people, dinosaur fossils, & meteors!
One of the many fossils in the museum
A real meteor
We took our lunch to Central Park and had a quick picnic and then walked all around the park. There are some areas that really feel secluded and like you aren’t even in the city at all. The kids loved this part of the day, they are always up for running, climbing, and exploring. We grabbed ice cream once we left the park, walked by the Plaza Hotel, and then headed to the subway for some rest back at the hotel.
After we rested, we decided to go to Top of the Rock. This was a little more expensive than I like to pay, but I really wanted to see the views! The kids liked it and I got some good photos of us. It was so windy, I am not sure if it’s always like that or not. Even though it’s pricy, I think this is one place you should visit if you have the time. The views are stunning!
Views for days
Everyone else looked so cute… then there was me LOL!
We really had a quick, but fun-filled trip to the Big Apple! There were many things that we didn’t get to see or do on this visit, but I hope to one day bring my boys back, along with Jereme. I have big goals to visit over Christmas! If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask, I am always happy to help answer questions, provide my honest opinions, and assist with any planning you may need!
Hey y’all! We just got back from an epic 10 day road trip from Pennsylvania to Delaware to New York City! I am still exhausted from all the fun, but had to share the details of this one!
As you probably already know, I really want to get my boys to all 50 states before they leave the nest. We’ve pretty much gone everywhere in driving distance from our home base in Texas, so Carrie and I decided to brave it and fly to the east for a road trip to knock out 4 states that we really didn’t want to drive to.
The boys are at 31 states now!
We found great airline prices so we booked a flight into Philadelphia, leaving out of New York. So listen, we first booked the cheapest flights we found on Spirit and Frontier Airlines and within 2-3 days of booking those, our flights started changing drastically. The flight into Philly was originally nonstop, but ended up changing with a layover and becoming a 15 hour travel day. We decided to cancel and got credits back for these flights and booked on American Airlines. The prices weren’t that different after the other airlines’ fees on seats and bags. Trust me, just stick with the major airlines when looking for flights!
Can you guess where we went first?!
Day 1: Scranton, PA
Our plan was to start off the trip in Wilmington, DE (30 min drive from Philadelphia). But when our flights started changing we made some adjustments and ended up adding an additional day. We got a super early flight into Philly and decided to head to Scranton for the day! I am a HUGE Office fan, so this was a no brainer for me when I realized that Scranton was only a 2 hour drive from the airport. So, we got our luggage, headed to the rental car place, and then to Scranton in the sweet minivan we rented for the week! If you are interested in how we spent the day, feel free to read my Scranton, PA blog!
Yes, my child chose to dress up like Dwight in Scranton!!
Fun fact, we also got to see President Biden’s childhood home in Scranton along with all of the fun Office sites I had on the list.
Day 2: Gettysburg, PA
From Scranton, we decided to head another 2 hours to Gettysburg, PA for the night and spend the next day exploring all of the historical sites there. First off, I loved where we stayed outside of Gettysburg, called The Lodges at Gettysburg. We had the coziest cabin and the whole entire area of lodging was just perfect and serene. But, when I drove through the quaint downtown area of Gettysburg, I was really wishing that we could have stayed in the middle of town at the Inn at Lincoln Square or at one of the other hotel options in town. Either way you decide to go, there are perks for staying outside of town or smack dab in the middle! While many things were still closed because of Covid, we had a really amazing day in Gettysburg.
Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed in Gettysburg during the Civil War. Notice the bullet holes in the door and brick.
Jennie was baking bread for Union Soldiers in this kitchen when bullets hit the house. One entered through the front door and struck her, killing her instantly.
Her family had to seek shelter in the cellar below the house. Jennie’s body was brought down with them (this is just a mannequin) while they waited for the battle to end.
From here, we drove to Wilmington, DE (another 2 hour drive) to start our three day adventure in that state! One regret that I do have is that we didn’t stay in Gettysburg for longer than a day. If I had it to do it all over again, I would probably stay in Gettysburg for two nights and cut our visit in Delaware shorter by a day or so.
Day 3: Rehoboth, DE
Our third day started off rainy, so we slept in at our hotel in Wilmington. We stayed at the Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront and we really liked our accommodations. We had a nice view of the river and there were plenty of restaurant options along the river walk for dinner.
Once the rain slowed down, we decided to drive to Rehoboth Beach for the afternoon. We would have liked to have stayed in this town, but there were no accommodations available for the days that we would be there. The town is so cute and quaint and we just had a really good time grabbing lunch and exploring the board walk. Since it was rainy and cooler, we didn’t bring swimsuits for the beach, but there were great restrooms for changing right at the end of the boardwalk for anyone that just wants to spend the day there at the beach! The boardwalk has a great selection of restaurants and shops! We had lunch at Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats and we all enjoyed it. We also stopped in Lewes, DE for a quick photo op on the drive home. It is considered to be the first town in the first state once the U.S. was established.
The board walk
Day 4: Historic New Castle
I absolutely loved this day exploring Historic New Castle. I have become a huge history buff, so I really enjoy visiting historic places. This is actually the landing place of William Penn where he first stepped foot on American soil in 1682. The town reminds me of Colonial Williamsburg, but New Castle really prides themselves on the difference that they did not re-create their colonial town like in Williamsburg, but they restored the actual buildings and homes that were originally there. The visitor’s center is open, so be sure to head there first to watch the 9 minute video that explains the town and points out key places to see on your visit.
This is the visitor center – the artillery building
Historic New Castle is right on the Delaware River, so we parked the van in a large, open lot right on the waterfront and chose to walk along the shore, through the park, and into the town. There was a hot dog vendor in the park and we ended up grabbing a quick lunch while walking through. The kids played and watched the large ship sail around before we headed into the downtown area. From here, we went to the visitor’s center and then made sure to see all the historic places from the video. I could not contain my excitement walking along the cobblestone streets and knowing that men like William Penn, George Washington, and Ben Franklin walked along the same street. I think you only need a full day here, the kids liked the feel of the old town, but really enjoyed the park and playground area!
Statue with William Penn
Obsessed with the cobblestone streets! I could post a million pictures of this town, but I don’t want to spoil all the sights you’ll see!
Day 5: Philadelphia
Day Five consisted of us driving about 30 minutes from Delaware to Philly. We had to stay outside of the city, there were literally zero hotels available for 6 people when we booked this trip months ago. But, we actually liked where we stayed, at the Home2 Suites Ridley Park, and it was only about a 20 minute drive into Philly each day. The only bummer was that the pool was closed for construction, so the kids were sad. I was really nervous and not sure what to expect when it came to driving into the city and finding parking, but it was actually very easy! We always took exit 22 and turned left on Fourth Street and drove until we saw The Bourse Building. Right past that is a large parking garage, and we found ourselves parking there each day and eating at The Bourse food court, too. And to make it even better, the parking was right by Independence National Historic Park, which is where you want to be if you want to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell! Parking is about $25 per day, maybe there are cheaper options, but it was very convenient and easy for us moms without our husbands.
On our first day in Philadelphia we chose to do a double decker bus tour with Double Decker Bus Tours of Philadelphia. These buses left right outside of the Bourse Building, too! We wanted to check out the city and add sites to our list of places we wanted to explore more of later on. The bus tour was great and we had a front row seat on the top deck! I really enjoyed the bus tour, we found a fun fountain along the route and kids were swimming and playing in it, so we knew the kids would love it since the pool was closed at the hotel.
So excited for the bus tour!
We also spotted Ben Franklin’s burial site, so we headed straight to see that once the bus tour was over. If you follow along on our travels, you probably know that we love all the creepy things, like historical ghost tours and visiting famous people’s graves. We are weird, I know! But, we got to see Ben’s grave and some others that helped write the Declaration of Independence! It was $9 for the kids and I to go in, but if you don’t want to pay, you can view the burial site from the fence. Everything is marked for you to easily find it.
And to end our night in Philly, we decided to go on a Ghost Tour of haunted historical places! We used Philadelphia Ghost Tours and had a wonderfully creepy experience and our guide was hands down the best I have ever had on a ghost tour. I even have a really cool photo of a ghost in a hat from a window – for real, check it out below!!!
Our guide was amazing!
It was creepy and I loved it!
And we for sure saw a ghost!!
Day 6: Philadelphia
This day was one of my all time favorite days on a vacation! We decided to go to the Betsy Ross House and then to one of the museums after we were done there. Sadly, this was on a Monday and the museums are only open on Thursdays-Sundays. So, please keep that in mind if you are planning a trip to Philadelphia in the near future. Anyway, we decided that we would make the very best of the day and we ended up having the most amazing time! We parked in the same parking garage and decided to pop on over to see the Liberty Bell before making our way to the Betsy Ross House. They only let about 17 people in at a time to see basically all the things in Philadelphia (due to Covid), so we did have to wait outside in a line for about 20 minutes or so BUT you do not need tickets to see the bell. While we were waiting in line, Independence Hall was having a Veteran’s ceremony, so we were able to watch a band play (it was similar to a colonial style band) and there were military vehicles everywhere blocking the road in front of Independence Hall. Once inside the Liberty Bell, we took turns admiring the bell and taking photos of the new friends we made in line!
The band
The Liberty Bell!!
When we left the Liberty Bell I happened to see several military men and told them, “Thank you for your service.” They were so gracious and allowed to kids to climb into their trucks! The kids absolutely loved this part of the day!
From here we walked over to The Betsy Ross House. We used the GPS on our phones and there are also several signs pointing you to the famous historic sites in the city, so again, maneuvering around town by car and by foot was surprisingly easy! I had no clue that we would enjoy the Betsy Ross House so much! Maybe it was because we accidentally decided to go on Flag Day of all days, but regardless, it was a wonderful, interactive experience for all of us. We started with a self-guided tour of the house. The sewing room reminded all of us of our Granny who is almost 89 and still sews to this day! Once we exited the house, employees were there passing out bags of M&Ms to the kids, which they loved. Then, we happened to see a man dressed in time-period clothing, so we chatted with him and learned that he was playing the part of Henry Box Brown, a slave that mailed himself to freedom from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Jett and Sadie were so excited because they had both read a book about him in school! There was also a lady playing the part of Betsy Ross, so we headed her way and sat down to enjoy her show. Well, this was the best part! It was completely interactive for the kids and they helped her on stage, all while learning about how she became the person to make our first flag and all of the other designs that were brainstormed before the first American flag came to be! It was so much fun and the lady that played the part was the sweetest and so good with kids! George Washington also made a brief visit haha!
Once we left the Betsy Ross House, we walked over to Elfreth’s Alley, which is the oldest residential street in Philadelphia. It was gorgeous, but nothing was open on Monday. Still, just walking along and taking it all in was fun. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area.
Isn’t this alley precious?
Finally, we were all hot and tired from exploring, so we went back to the car and drove over to the fountain that we had seen on the bus tour. We didn’t bring swimsuits, but because we are such cool moms, we let the kids play in the fountain as long as their little hearts desired! Once they were completely worn out, we went back to the hotel, I did some laundry because, 10 day road trip hello lol, and I think we ran over to the Cracker Barrel next door for dinner! It was a really great day of learning and exploring.
Can you spot the kids?
Day 7: Last Dayin Philadelphia
Today was an exciting day, especially for me and my history loving heart! Y’all, we got to see the birthplace of America and where the Declaration of Independence was signed! You can visit these sites at Independence Hall. We did not pre-purchase timed entry tickets (there were none available), so we woke up early and headed to Philly. We got to Independence Hall around 8:15 a.m. and park rangers begin handing out FREE tickets around 8:30 a.m. You can purchase the timed entry tickets here. We were able to begin our self-guided tour of Independence Hall around 10 a.m., so we grabbed a quick breakfast first and then came back and began our tour. You are able to enter into two rooms on the bottom level and here you listen to park rangers explain the importance of the two rooms. The second room you enter is where the Declaration was signed! It was truly amazing. Once you leave Independence Hall, you go next door to Congress Hall to see where the first two presidential inaugurations occurred! Remember, at the time Washington DC was not finished being built. It all just smelled like the 1700s and I am not going to lie, I got a little emotional here. It’s still crazy to believe that I got to stand in buildings where our Founding Fathers worked and created our government.
The whole group outside of Independence Hall!
The chair at the back of the room is the EXACT chair that George Washington sat in! Eeek!!
Once we left there, we grabbed a quick lunch and then headed down the street to the Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank of the United States. This is a place filled with historical paintings, but it turned out to be so much more for us! We ran into our favorite park ranger, Jane, and she remembered us from our morning tour of Independence Hall. She ended up taking us on a behind the scene tour of the gallery and enthralled us all with her historical knowledge and amazing tales of things she’s seen that are not available to the public! I learned so, so much and consider our time with her so valuable. Be sure to check out the gallery if you are in the area and talk to the park rangers! They are there to answer questions and you might just make a new friend. I didn’t take any photos inside the gallery, I was too engaged, but I wish I would’ve gotten a picture with Jane. She was so special and I will never forget our time spent with her.
Outside of the Portrait Gallery
Even the youngest kid on the trip was engaged and interested in learning more!
After the portrait gallery we decided to head over to the Ben Franklin Bridge! We drove across it into New Jersey, found a great parking spot, and then walked back to Pennsylvania on the walking trail on the bridge. It’s not a long walk and it makes for a fun story and a great place for photos! This is how we ended our time in Philadelphia, up next was our drive to New York City!
On the Ben Franklin Bridge with Philly in the background!
Day 8: The Drive to New York City
After leaving Philadelphia, we were on the last leg of our trip. I was really excited to get to New York, but nervous about the drive into the city at the same time! We had to get the minivan to the rental car place at La Guardia Airport, then our plan was to uber back to the our hotel and use public transportation for the remaining days. We didn’t have to get the rental back until that evening, so we were in no rush to get there. With that in mind, we decided to stop and see Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania, right before crossing over into New Jersey. This is where George Washington crossed the Delaware River. I am so glad that we made the stop! It was a great break for the kids to get out and stretch their legs and run around. Plus, the area is really cute, with outdoor sites and a small indoor museum. Be sure to add this to your list if you are making the drive from Philly to NYC!
Once we left WCNHP, we headed into New Jersey. I follow a few travel groups on Facebook, so I was happy to see someone post about stopping in New Jersey at the Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial. It was a beautiful place and I would give anything to have traveled to NYC before that tragic day. I never got to see the Twin Towers in person. I can only imagine how “empty” the skyline is to every resident in both New York and New Jersey.
The Memorial
The Empty Skyline
From here, we began our drive into the city and I am proud to say that I made it, without wrecking the van and I only flipped off one person! That’s terrible, I know but some random man was screaming and yelling at me for NO reason. I was never so glad to NOT have a car as I was in that city ha.
We had no issues getting back to our hotel, Hyatt Place New York Midtown/South. It was in a great location for us – The Empire State Building was outside of our window and it was only a few blocks to Times Square and Penn Station!
The view of the Empire State Building from our hotel!
On our first night in New York, we decided to walk down to Times Square and show the kids this area. It was crazy because it felt like we had the city to ourselves! The kids loved the lights and sounds and I was happy that it wasn’t so crowded. After this, we called it a night to get some rest. Have I mentioned that I am exhausted yet?
Times Square!
Day 9: Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial
Today was the day to visit The Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial. We started off the day at the Statue of Liberty. We took the ferry, it was a very quick and easy check in process, but you do have to go through airport style screening before you are allowed to get on the ferry. Click here to pre-purchase tickets. We rode on the top deck to get the best view of the statue! While we were really sad that the museum was closed and that you can’t climb the stairs into the crown, we were thrilled to get to see Lady Liberty up close! And we were able to grab lunch at the Crown Café right on site while we were there. The kids thought that it would be bigger, so they were surprised with the size. This was a fun excursion and a must see if you’re visiting NYC!
This is the ferry we took to Liberty Island
Be sure to take a photo on the boat, it’s a better angle!
Since the ferry left from Battery Park, we decided to walk on over to the 9/11 Memorial while we were in the area. I think this was an emotional visit for all of us, the kids had a lot of questions and we answered them honestly. It was hard to think about that day and not get emotional. The kids really wanted to see the museum, but we felt like they were still a little too young for this one. Carrie and I both visited the museum together a few years ago, so we knew what was inside. I will definitely be taking them back when they are older, we must never forget that day or the victims. The memorial is very beautiful.
We rode the subway back to the hotel and just spent the rest of the day being typical tourists. We ventured by Radio City Music Hall, ate dinner in Times Square, danced with a street performer and had a really good night!
The boys first subway ride!
Day 10: Museum of Natural History, Central Park, & Top of the Rock
This was our last full day on the trip! We knew we wanted to visit a museum, so we picked the American Museum of Natural History because I really wanted to see the dinosaur fossils! We had a great time exploring the museum, there are several really cool exhibits, besides just dinosaurs. However, our time was cut shorter than I would like because our kids were starving and the food court in the museum has not yet re-opened. So, we left the museum after a few hours and grabbed a quick lunch at one of the food trucks parked right outside of the museum entrance.
One of the many fossils in the museum
A real meteor
We took our lunch to Central Park and had a quick picnic and then walked all around the park. There are some areas that really feel secluded and like you aren’t even in the city at all. The kids loved this part of the day, they are always up for running, climbing, and exploring. We grabbed ice cream once we left the park, walked by the Plaza Hotel, and then headed to the subway for some rest back at the hotel.
After we rested, we decided to go to Top of the Rock. This was a little more expensive than I like to pay, but I really wanted to see the views! The kids liked it and I got some good photos of us. It was so windy, I am not sure if it’s always like that or not. Even though it’s pricy, I think this is one place you should visit if you have the time. The views are stunning!
Views for days
Everyone else looked so cute… then there was me LOL!
That wraps up the big activities on our 10 day road trip! Day 11 was our travel day back to Texas and all went well. Where should we go next?!
If you are an Office fan, you must visit Scranton if you ever find yourself in Pennsylvania! We went for the day and had the best time!
My son dressed up like Dwight!
I am a HUGE Office fan, so seeing Scranton has always been on my bucket list. Yes, I know that the show was not actually filmed in Scranton, but I still have always wanted to visit and see all the things that the Office referenced during its series. And my youngest son, Jake, really wanted to dress up like Dwight for our visit, so of course I had to make that happen!
I think he played the part well haha!!
I did not plan a trip just to see Scranton, though. We actually decided to do a road trip from Delaware to New York City and our first flight brought us to Philadelphia early in the morning. Instead of just driving straight to our destination in Delaware, and risking having to wait hours for our hotel to be ready for check in, I decided to look at areas that were close to Philadelphia for a quick day trip. I didn’t want to explore Philly because later on in our trip we would be staying there for 4 days. Anyway, I discovered that Scranton is only about 2 hours from Philly and knew this was just the place we needed to spend the day!
The whole crew in our Office attire!
First, we went to the Steamtown Mall, which is actually named the Market Place at Steamtown. We parked in the parking garage and headed in to see the famous Scranton welcome sign that plays in the opening of the show. It is the original sign from the show, but has moved into the mall for photo ops. It is on the 2nd floor, very easy to find. We also took a photo with a Dunder Mifflin sign at a random store on the way to see the welcome sign!
From the mall, we drove around town and saw the big tower, Alfredo’s Pizza, and Cooper’s Seafood (which has a big selection of Office souvenirs if you’re interested in making a purchase). By this point we were actually pretty tired because we had to be up at 3:00 am for our flight. We were driving to Gettysburg for the night, which was another 2 hours away, so even though I would have loved to spend more time in Scranton, we knew it was time to head to our next destination. We also learned that President Biden’s childhood home is in Scranton, so we drove by that for a quick photo, too. If you follow our adventures, you already know that we love seeing Presidents’ houses!
It still says Dunder Mifflin! Pizza by Alfredo or Alfredo’s Pizza?
It was a short adventure, but the perfect way to spend our day once we arrived in Pennsylvania!
The kids outside President Biden’s childhood home
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Have you ever felt like you needed a vacation from a vacation? Like, maybe you planned so many fun adventures into your day and your kids are tired, your feet hurt, you’re broke now, and just flat out exhausted? I have been guilty of this so many times. Not that I am complaining, because I love seeing and doing all the things! But, let me tell you a little secret… sometimes just being in a new place is all you need to have a wonderful time. I feel like this pretty much sums up our trip to Orange Beach, Alabama last month.
So, let me tell you the back story. My friend and I planned a very detailed, and if I’m honest, a too packed full of activities trip to Cape Canaveral, FL to view a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center. I happened to see that a rocket launch was scheduled around April 20th and we just immediately booked our flights and had a hotel and rental car waiting and ready for us on the Space Coast. Then, we started planning our days and decided that we were going to enjoy the hotel water park, visit NASA, kayak with manatees, visit an alligator farm, take surf lessons, find all the best beach front dining, and the list goes on and on. As luck would have it, the launch date changed by 2 days, so we changed our dates, which was a whole other ordeal. Then the launch was canceled, so we changed back to our original dates, only to discover that the launch was back on and moved to 3 days after the original date. Following me? Yes, it was basically a hot mess and like a sign from the heavens that we did NOT need to see that rocket launch. Well, being the troopers we are, we decided to still go to Cape Canaveral and have a blast with our kids in FL for a few days. Three days before our departure, the weather channel started showing videos of the torrential rain in the forecast for Orlando and all of the Space Coast area. I don’t think there is anyone that wants to spend money on a rained-out vacation, so we decided to cancel everything and look into other options. I had visited Orange Beach a few times in the past, but hadn’t been back in five years. Since we had already taken the days off from work, we decided to look there to see if any hotels had availability. And we got so lucky! We ended up being able to add an extra day to this one and decided to make the 10 hour drive to the beach and enjoy our week with our kids. I am so thankful we made this decision! It ended up being such a special trip for us and the biggest kicker – we literally did nothing except play at the beach and eat seafood dinners at night!
We rolled into Orange Beach and checked into our hotel around 7 pm. We stayed at Hampton Inn and Suites and had a lovely experience there. We booked a small suite that slept 6 and we had more than enough space for us all! Here are a few photos from the hotel and beach.
My boys and I both LOVE seafood, especially at the beach. We enjoyed everywhere we ate this week, but The Hangout was especially fun since they have foam parties every hour!
Here is a list of our dining experiences this week:
We basically only ventured off the hotel property for dinner/souvenir shopping. We stopped at the Walmart across from the hotel on our first day for lunches and took advantage of the really nice hotel breakfast each morning. The days were spent sleeping in, playing in the sand, watching dolphins from the shore, riding boogie boards, making memories, and just having an all-around actual restful and relaxing vacation. Our mama hearts were so full and our kids just really enjoyed their time together… and taking a couple of metal health days off from school!
I was thinking back on past trips that I haven’t gotten around to blogging about, and remembered that our first EPIC road trip across the country was to Folly Beach, SC in 2019. I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about this one yet, it was truly unforgettable.
So, when my oldest son was in 2nd grade, he was obsessed with Megalodons and sharks, so I started researching “best places to see sharks”. I was thinking more along the lines of aquariums – I do NOT ever want to see a shark in the ocean while I am on vacation LOL. Well, I stumbled across a blog about shark tooth/shark fossil hunting in Folly Beach, SC and I just knew we had to go! I called up Carrie, she ALWAYS says yes to my crazy ideas, and we had a hotel booked within the day for Spring Break in March. Keep in mind, we booked in early fall but wanted to really plan this one out since it was going to be our longest road trip, totaling 2,300 miles!
Our route from TX to SC
As interests in kids come and go, Jett moved on from the shark obsession well before March, but we still decided to go. I mean, who doesn’t want to spend Spring Break at the beach?! So, we headed out the Friday we got out of school for break and began our 16 hour drive. I believe we stopped somewhere in Mississippi or Alabama for the night, and finished the drive on Saturday.
Excited for this road trip!
One of my most favorite spontaneous finds on all of our road trips was the Vampire Diaries filming locations in Covington, GA. If you are a fan of the show, you HAVE to stop here! We were getting a little restless, felt like it was time to get our kids out of the car for lunch and to stretch our legs, and we stumbled across this little town almost by accident. I typically drive on our road trips and Carrie navigates, passes out food to the kids in back, and finds all of our fun stops along the drive. So, about 30 minutes before Covington, Carrie found this little stop and since we are both fans of the show, we had to see it! And I am so glad we did, it was the cutest town and we had so much fun! Even the kids liked seeing the sites and the bags of blood in the town gift shops were pretty entertaining! Check out Mystic Falls Tours if you’re in the area! There is also a little museum at the visitors parking area that has clothing and artifacts from the show!
From here, we drove straight to Folly Beach, only stopping for gas and dinner and we got there pretty late at night. We basically had Sunday-Thursday in Folly Beach and then would start our drive back home Friday and finish it up on Saturday. We stayed at Tides of Folly Beach and were very pleased with the hotel, from the location to the restaurants on site! And we were able to walk to restaurants and shops in Folly Beach from the hotel, so that was an added bonus!
View from the hotel!
I had no clue how close we were to several different amazing locations, as well. So, here is how we spent our days in and around Folly Beach!
Day 1: Folly Beach – We spent our first full day in Folly Beach at our hotel! None of us wanted to get back in the car after our 16 hour drive. It was still a little chilly, but the kids had a blast at the beach. We played in the sand, the kids braved the cold water, we ate at the pool grill, and enjoyed the outdoor pool!
Fish tacos at the beach front hotel restaurant
Day 2: Magnolia Plantation & Gardens and Huntington Island State Park – The plan for the second day was to explore South Carolina. I really wanted to see the beautiful, moss draped trees that SC is known for! And we always enjoy learning the history of the places we visit. After looking up top things to see and do near Folly Beach, we decided we would spend the morning at Magnolia Plantation and then the afternoon at Huntington Island State Park. There were so many hiking trails at the Plantation, we saw live animals, walked over a swamp and saw so many alligators, and even visited the Plantation home and the slave quarters. I feel like we all learned so much about this early era in SC’s history. The scenery around the plantation was gorgeous.
Magnolia Gardens Magnolia Plantation Slave quarters at the plantation
Huntington Island State Park was very picturesque. I also really loved that we didn’t see a soul in sight while there. The trees scattered along the beach made for the best photo ops! We were disappointed that we couldn’t go to the top of the lighthouse (my youngest wasn’t tall enough), but the kids had fun just exploring and playing along the shore.
Day 3: Ruins – This was such a fun adventure! If you follow my travels, you know that we LOVE doing all the creepy things! So, when I saw there were some ruins to visit in the area, you know I was all about creeping out the kids. These ruins were not super close to one another, but also not a terrible drive between each of them. We visited the Old Sheldon Church ruins first. Then we stopped by St. Helena Chapel of Ease. The early graves dating back to the 1800s were fascinating. We had a quick lunch and then made it to the Pon Pon Chapel of Ease ruins right at dusk. Everything was crazy creepy, but this last stop was the creepiest at night! We didn’t stay long at all! We just googled directions to each one using our iPhone map.
Old Sheldon Church Ruins St. Helena Chapel of EasePon Pon Chapel of Ease
Day 4: Folly Beach – Our last full day in Folly Beach was spent at the beach again! With the 16 hour return trip coming up, we decided on another relaxing beach day and stayed around the hotel and down at the beach. We walked to a delicious Mexican restaurant directly across the street from the hotel for dinner and then hit some souvenir shops after. It was a great week in Folly Beach!
Day 5: Charleston, SC – To begin our drive home, we headed to Charleston for the morning. This is one town I wished we could’ve spent more time in. We walked along the streets of Rainbow Row and had lunch at a little café in town.
Then we started our drive back to Texas. We re-routed our drive home because of severe weather threats from Texas-Alabama. We ended up heading to Memphis, TN and then drove straight home after our stop there for the night. The drive home got a little crazy, but that’s spring weather for you in the south I guess. It was our first long road trip across the country and I was so proud of myself for getting us all there and back home safely! I would definitely recommend this trip if you’re looking for an adventure!
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Wow! What an amazing road trip we had from Texas to Moab, Utah! We just returned from a spring break getaway that went by way to fast. I am already looking forward to the next time we get to visit this state. It is hard to adequately describe the landscape and the pictures definitely don’t do it justice!
My family at Delicate Arch
Did you know that 4th graders get a National Park Pass that gets the entire family into ALL National Parks for free? It has also been extended to 5th graders this year, so be sure to check out this link if you have a 4th or 5th grade student!
Jett with his National Park Pass!
I posted most of our itinerary on social media and several people have reached out to me asking for exact details on our route and how we planned out our days. I hope this post helps you plan your own trip – it’s a fantastic itinerary if you have kids under 10.
Day 1: We started our drive from North Texas and headed to Farmington, New Mexico for the night. It took about 13 hours total, the time change gaining an hour helped out immensely! We stayed at a nice hotel, TownePlace Suites by Marriott and it was in a great location next to a gas station and several restaurants. We were able to walk to The Outback Steakhouse for a quick dinner before getting ready for bed.
Texas to Farmington, NM
Helpful Tip – If I know we will be stopping overnight to stay at hotels during our drive, I pack a smaller suitcase for those nights so we don’t have to haul all of our luggage in and out. I also use packing cubes to keep our clothes situated!
Day 2: We checked out of the hotel and decided to visit the Aztec Ruins National Monument near Farmington. This was a quick stop but it was really neat. My boys loved the prairie dogs that were outside of the park. Inside the park you are able to take a self-guided tour around the ruins. A park ranger on site told us that these ruins aren’t actually from the Aztecs, but from the Pueblos that lived there. They were named Aztecs Ruins long ago and the name just stuck. The ruins were really cool and this was a great way for the kids to burn up some energy before getting back in the car.
The Aztec Ruins behind the kids
From here I put in “Forrest Gump Point” into my GPS. It’s about 2 hours 15 minutes to this location. It is the iconic place in the movie where Forrest Gump stops running, right near Monument Valley. If you notice, this route takes you through Arizona, so that was an exciting bonus! Monument Valley is currently closed, as is Four Corners.
The Route from Farmington, NM to Forrest Gump Point
But these are places that you can definitely check out when they open back up! We were able to see Shiprock Peak, a gorgeous peak that has been the backdrop of several movies. I read online that this is sacred ground and you can’t actually get to it, but we stopped as close as we could for a photo op. You can put Shiprock Monument into your GPS if you want to try to get closer to the peak.
Shiprock Peak
After a quick photo at Shiprock, we continued our drive to Forrest Gump Point. The scenery is amazing and the pictures below don’t do it justice. I was so excited to see Monument Valley and love the family photo we were able to get!
Forrest Gump Point
There are not a lot of places to eat or even gas stations along this route, so be warned! We were starving and had to wait about 30-45 minutes to find a restaurant in Bluff, Utah to stop at. Luckily we pulled in right before The Twin Rocks Trading Post Cafe was closing at 3:00. We didn’t see a kids menu, but ours had no problem having street tacos and quesadillas! It was a very nice place to eat with both indoor/outdoor dining.
Finally after leaving the restaurant, we were headed to Moab for the week. Again, the sights were beautiful which made the long drive worthwhile.
Forrest Gump Point to Moab, UT
We stayed at the Hyatt Place Moab and found the hotel very accommodating. Rooms were cozy, the breakfast grab and go bags were great, and the kids loved the outdoor heated pool and hot tub. I would definitely stay at this place again, the location was great and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The breakfast provided was an egg and sausage breakfast bowl and it also included a boiled egg, yogurt, muffins, and juice/milk/coffee. We even packed the boiled eggs in our backpacks and had them for a snack during our days of hiking! For dinner in Moab, we ate at The Broken Oar and I had a steak and mashed potatoes that were delicious!
Day 3: So day three was our first day in Moab and we decided to spend the day hiking at Arches National Park. I had to see the Delicate Arch, so that was our first hike for the day. I kept a close watch on the live webcam at the ticket area, and never saw long lines to get into the park. We arrived around 10 am. I am sure it’s much busier during the summer. This was our first visit to Utah, so I didn’t really know what to expect at the park. But it ended up being super easy! Take the map that is offered to you at the ticket area. The park has signs along the way and we were able to find the Delicate Arch hike fairly easy and we enjoyed the sights along the way. What I love about this park is that even people that can’t hike can enjoy almost everything! There are places to pull over and view the famous landmarks or you can park and hike to them. We knew that the hike to Delicate Arch would be the longest and hardest of the trip so we started there first. I am not going to lie, it was pretty hard in one part that is a very steep incline. The rest is fairly easy and the walk back down was no trouble at all. The kids did great and we saw people of all ages and ability levels able to do this one. And I promise that the view at the end is amazing! I also loved that everyone waited turns to take photos under the arch and we all offered to take photos of each other. I am so happy to have these memories of my family.
The start of hike to Delicate Arch
We left the Delicate Arch and stopped in a shady area to have a quick lunch. We packed sandwiches we got from the hotel store and our extra leftovers from breakfast. The temps were in the 60s so it was very comfortable. It was extremely windy the closer we got to the arch though. The kids got a chance to eat and play a little, then we made our way back down. Be sure to check out the petroglyphs before you leave the area!
Our lunch stopThe petroglyphs
From here, we drove over to the double arch and this was a very easy and short hike. My boys loved exploring the arches and the rocks at the bottom. Restrooms are located at most of the parking areas before hiking so that was helpful, too. We had such a good time hiking and climbing and playing in this area. It was so much easier to explore than the Delicate Arch hike. In all, we hiked 6 miles/64 flights on this day! We decided to leave around 5:00 pm and headed straight to dinner. We ended up going to The Moab Brewery and it was also delicious! But be warned, a lot of their food is very, very spicy if it has their green chili on it! The kids loved that their kids meals came with a Frisbee plate! We ended the night in the hot tub, soaking all of our sore muscles.
Day 4: Today we booked a guided UTV excursion with Moab Tour Company. We decided to go with their most popular tour which was a level 2, 3 hour UTV trip on Hells Revenge and Fins & Things trails. It was EPIC! We loved our guide, Tyler. He was super funny but also made us really comfortable. He took us to see several gorgeous places in the Sand Flats and took photos of our family. We also got to check out some dinosaur tracks. The trails were pretty intense in places, but so much fun! I can’t recommend this tour enough. Our kids loved it, but my husband probably had the best time getting to drive the UTV! For lunch, we stopped at Zax, which was downtown. We passed it on our ride and it looked like it had a lot of options. I had a delicious steak pasta, my husband had pizza, and the kids had burgers and mac and cheese from the kids menu.
The trails were epic! Look at that view!
After our UTV ride, we decided to go check out Dead Horse Point State Park. This is another place that is stunning and the pictures don’t do it justice. We checked out all of the overlooks, which meant that we didn’t have to do a lot of hiking. Just hang on to your kids, some of the overlooks were crazy! The kids had a really good time just exploring and climbing on rocks and into small crevices. We ended the night with fast food and time at the pool!
Dead Horse Point State Park
Day 5: This was our last full day in Moab before our journey home. We decided to spend the day in Canyonlands National Park, which is very close to Dead Horse Point State Park. We enjoyed some of the smaller hikes, like the one we did at Mesa Arch. If you have kids, make sure they don’t run up to the arch, there’s a steep drop-off right past it!
Right at the edge of Mesa Arch
The hike to Mesa Arch was a very easy and short loop with lots of nice views! This park is a little bigger than we thought and was a little more confusing for us to maneuver.
We started at Canyonlands near Dead Horse Point and then wanted to see The Needles area. Little did we know that these two parts weren’t close to each other and it took us about 2.5 hours to get from one area to the next via car. The views were totally worth it, but it felt like we spent a lot of time driving. We did get to see Newspaper Rock on our drive to The Needles area and we found some fun hikes. We realized that the hike down to the Needles was 10.4 miles and knew our kids couldn’t do it. So we stayed in one area and let the kids play and climb. Then it started to snow which made for a beautiful scenic drive back to the hotel. We stopped for Mexican food at Fiesta Mexicana and it was probably my favorite dining experience of the trip! The enchiladas and margaritas were great and we all left stuffed!
Newspaper RockThe Needles in the distance
Day 6: Our original plan was to drive back to New Mexico for the night and find some fun things to do before heading home. However, the weather had other plans for us and Colorado was expected to get record breaking snow and New Mexico had chances of snow too. I also looked at the weather in Texas and the panhandle had chances of tornadoes (which did happen), so we ended up just driving about 9 hours to Amarillo for the night and then and then left the following day for a 6 hour drive home. All in all, it was a fantastic family trip and we cannot wait to explore another National Park! I hope you get the chance to visit Moab, you won’t be disappointed!
Do you love up close and personal animal encounters? Have you ever wanted to visit an elephant sanctuary? Then let me tell you about The Preserve in Fredericksburg, TX!
My family was fortunate enough to visit The Preserve on a warm winter day this past January. We actually had tickets for last spring, but due to Covid, our visit was canceled. I want to start by first pointing out that the communication and gift card process during the shut downs were excellently handled. Then, when we decided to visit and redeem our gift card, it was the smoothest and quickest rebooking I have ever experienced! Right off the bat I was impressed before ever visiting. Detailed instructions were emailed to us with our confirmation and directions to the location were on point. We had no trouble finding The Preserve, even though it is pretty far out in the country. And then there’s the facility and the grounds. Everything is gorgeous, well kept, clean, and expertly organized. I promise you, you will be impressed and so glad to visit!
I really don’t know how I found out about The Preserve, I think I may have seen a post about this place on Pinterest. I am an avid animal lover and dream of owning my own animal sanctuary one day. So, of course I had to add this place to our travel bucket list. We had planned to road trip down to Fredericksburg in the spring and spend a day or two in the area, visit The Preserve and then head home. Of course, Covid threw a kink in those plans and the trip was put on hold. We had an upcoming school holiday, so I checked the weather forecast about a week before our day off and to my surprise, the weather was supposed to be unseasonably warm. I emailed The Preserve, and within about 30 minutes, we had our new date set.
The Experience
Let me tell you a little about the experience. It was so amazing, I was literally brought to tears twice. So, to begin, groups were seated under a large tent (with several space heaters) around tables. We were all spread out at least 6 feet apart and masks were required. There are several employees that talk at different times throughout the 1.5 hour experience. We listened to some information about The Preserve, the back story and how the elephants came to be here. Then we all watched in complete awe as 4 Asian elephants began to head towards the tent, trunk to tail in a line. Cue the first set of tears I cried.
The elephants were introduced, all female, and they showed off a bit in their own unique way. After this, we all moved to a different nearby area to watch one of the elephants get a bath. The amazing part, we ALL got to help scrub her off with brushes and assist in her bath time. Besides the organization and how much we were learning about these magnificent animals, I really enjoyed the employee interactions with the guests. Each person offered to take photos of all the guests with the elephants and there was no limit to the amount of time we could spend with each one. After photos were taken, phones/cameras were placed at a sanitation station and we were able to sanitize our devices and hands throughout the entire experience. I want all of the family memories, so photographs are probably my most treasured material item, so this was a huge deal to me!
After bath time, we moved to another nearby area and learned about how the elephants are cared for. We specifically learned about their feet and how important this type of care is for elephants since they carry so much weight. We even got to touch the pads of one of their feet! From here, we moved back to the first larger tent to continue learning more about elephants. It was engaging and my boys never once said that they were bored or ready to go home. Finally, at the end we all got another turn to have employees take our pictures with all 4 of the elephants together.
Overall, without giving too much away in case you want to visit on your own, I will say that this has been one of my favorite family getaways of all time! I am a life-long learner, an animal lover, and adventure seeker. This hit all of those areas for me. But my favorite part about it was seeing the pure joy and excitement from my boys. They loved the experience and want to go back!
Our Weekend Itinerary
We live north of Dallas, so Fredericksburg is about 5 hours from us and we decided to just spend a short weekend away on this trip. We left early in the morning and headed straight to San Antonio. The weather was perfect! We arrived around lunch time and had some Mexican food on the River Walk and then went to The Alamo for a quick visit. From there, we drove about an hour to Fredericksburg and stayed at The Holiday Inn Express & Suites. It was immaculate and the kitchen staff made us omelets for breakfast. The pool area was the best and I hope to visit again in warmer weather since we were only able to enjoy the hot tub! While it was a quick trip, it was also unforgettable.
Have you ever seen a photo of a place so unique that you knew you had to visit? That was my reaction the first time I saw a photo of the Ruins of Presidents Park. The image I saw was so eerie and creepy, I just had to add it to my bucket list. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out what I was looking at or where the picture was taken. I spent days at a time google searching images and finally figured out that the photo I had found was taken at the Ruins of Presidents Park in Virginia. And then, I was further disappointed to learn that this was actually just that, ruins from a park that was once open and had long since closed to the public. I never quiet gave up hope that one day I would figure out how to see this place. Then, about 3 years after I first saw that photo on Pinterest, I joined a travel group on Facebook and one of the members posted information on how to book a visit to see these ruins in person! So, this is how my family ended up taking one of my bucket list trips during the middle of a pandemic.
First, here is a little back story of the Ruins of Presidents Park. An artist, David Adickes, was inspired after a visit to Mount Rushmore and created 43 President sculptures. These sculptures would eventually become a 10-acre open air park in Williamsburg, VA called Presidents Park. The park closed in 2010 and these sculptures were set to be destroyed. A man in nearby Croaker, VA decided to spend $50,000 to move these sculptures to his family land. In the process of moving, all of the sculptures were ruined and now sit in all their damaged glory on his property.
To visit these ruins, you must purchase a ticket through John Plashal Photo’s Facebook page. He is a photographer that has some kind of connection to the family that owns these sculptures and is allowed to host events every few months. If you are interested in visiting this site, please like his page on Facebook and check in every week to see if he posts event dates/ticket links. Once tickets are purchased, you will get more detailed instructions via email about the location, where to park, what to bring, etc.
There are 43 President Sculptures, from George Washington to George W. Bush. They range in height from 18-20 feet. Most are in terrible shape with crumbling features and water discoloration. This only adds to the character and eeriness of the site! When arriving, you will meet John Plashal and he’ll give out instructions, get you checked in, and then you pretty much have free range to explore during your ticketed hours. Masks and social distancing are required. Since it is outdoors, we felt very safe in regards to our health!
Some people have asked if it was worth it… of course my answer is YES! I really enjoy learning about our country’s history and presidents, so this was a top destination on my bucket list. Some people may not feel that way about history, so I can’t say how much you would enjoy it. Regardless of being a history buff or not, it’s still really cool to see and explore in person. Not to mention how close it is to Washington DC (only 2 hours) and it’s right outside of Williamsburg, so you’re close to the Historic Triangle. We flew into Richmond, VA and rented a car for the week. We stayed in Colonial Williamsburg during our trip, which was only about 15 minutes away from The Ruins of Presidents Park. We were able to visit Colonial Williamsburg at Christmas, Jamestown Settlement, and The Revolutionary War Museum in Yorktown. So, be sure to hit up this historic triangle during your stay!
Did you know that there’s a town named Santa Claus in Indiana that celebrates the magic of the Christmas season all year long? We had no clue! I came across an article that highlighted the top 10 Christmas towns in America and Santa Claus made the list. I was intrigued, so began doing more research and decided we had to check it out! And, of course December was the perfect month for a quick visit. So, we got busy finding cute matching holiday sweaters and pajamas for us and the kids. Then, we picked a weekend, booked a hotel and discovered there were so many festive activities planned for the Saturday we’d be visiting!
From Texas, the drive is about 11.5 hours. As we neared Santa Claus, IN, we made a stop at Lincoln’s Boyhood Memorial in Lincoln City, IN. It was a nice place to get out, do some hiking, and stretch our legs after being in the car for so long. Not everything was open due to Covid, but we felt safe, we were outdoors, and were able to social distance from other visitors. It almost felt like we were there by ourselves. If you love Abe Lincoln like we do, make sure to visit this amazing historical site!
From Lincoln City we drove about 5 minutes and arrived in Santa Claus! Right away you begin seeing Santa Claus statues welcoming you into town. The streets are named things like, Christmas Blvd, Holiday Ln, etc. For a small town, it was filled with so many fun attractions. There’s even an amusement park and water park (they were closed while we were there).
We found all of the available activities on the Santa Claus website, which was super helpful to plan out the day!
Here is our list of favorite activities!
1. Drive through donut, pancake and sausage breakfast served by Santa! (Free/Optional Donation)
2. Santa’s Toy Shop
3. Pictures with the MOST amazing Santa and Mrs. Claus! (Free/Optional Donation)
4. Candy Castle – Be sure to try the frozen hot chocolate!
If you follow our travels, you’ll know that I might have a small obsession with the movie Home Alone. I’ve visited the house where the movie was filmed two times now and it’s on my bucket list to go back and see it during Christmastime. So, when I heard that there was a Home Alone Airbnb in Dallas (just 45 minutes from my house), I knew I had to see it!
This movie is definitely a family favorite of ours and I cannot even tell you the total amount of times I’ve seen it. I still remember my mom taking my little sister and I to the movies when it released back in 1990, I was 8 years old. I’m not sure a year has gone by that I haven’t watched it during the holidays. And thankfully my boys love it just as much as I do!
Our first visit to the real life Home Alone house!
I’m happy to say that our stay was everything I hoped it would be! I don’t think we stopped smiling all night. The thoughts and details that went into planning this themed getaway are top notch and I cannot believe some of the memorable in this place! AND, it even came with a FREE large cheese pizza.
A delicious cheese pizza all to myself! Did everyone have these Christmas glasses or was it just me?
I think one night is all you need to experience the magic of this place, especially if you’re local. It felt like the most epic sleepover ever and my boys were thrilled that we didn’t have to leave once we arrived. Of course, if you’re traveling from a long distance, you are right outside of downtown Dallas and have tons of touristy locations and amazing restaurants right at your fingertips!
And my favorite part of all, watching both Home Alone and Home Alone Lost in New York on VHS tape! We taught the kids how to rewind a video and all about Blockbuster and how exciting it was to go rent movies on Friday nights! I’m totally an 80s kid and this just took me back to my childhood! It was nice to forget about politics, Covid and real life for a night!
The kids didn’t know what this TV was haha! They almost died of boredom when it took us 8 minutes to rewind the movie! Keep the change, ya filthy animal
I hope you enjoy our night through all of the pictures we took! The link is below if you’re interested in booking a night at “The Kevin.” I believe there’s availability through the end of January 2021!
How cute is this place? Amazed as soon as we stepped foot on the property! Buzz, you’re girlfriend… WOOF Check out the alarm clock, it was even blinking when we got here! Rockin around the Christmas tree… Buzz’s room! Y’all, there were still chips in the bag! Ahhhh!
Road Trip Queen 